The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-10
A CATSKILL BEAR STORY.
g Bears in the Catskills?"

"Well, there certainly are none prowl-
ing about the Overlook Mountain House,
nor the Hotel Kaaterskill, nor even la
the vicinity of the romantic crag called
Rip Van Wrinkles Rock. In fact, during
the weeks ramble which we took-my
friend and I-among the back woods and
the glens of Side Mountain and the In
dian Head, we fsiled to discover traces of
either bear or wildcat.
To say that we saw "neither hide nor
hair" of them, as the phrase is, would not
be true. There is a great. tawny, glass
eyed, stuffed wildcat at Mead's on the
Overlook; and in the farmers house at
Big Indian we saw a black bears skin,
the original wearer OF which had been
killed by the present owner, only few
winters ago.
But we found bear-stories-p plenty of
them. Whenever we met a native or old
settler of the region, we straightway
asked him for bear story, and he sell
dom disappointed us. We soon had quite
collection, the gem of which is the one
am going to tell you now. 1t has never
before been told in print, I am sure; for
we had it from the lips of the hero him
self-an Italian laborer who having orig
inslly come in to the Catskills to work on
one of the railroads, had finally made his
home there.
Seated on a raft at the edge Of the pond
where we were fishing, he related his
story in broken English, which will en-
deavor to mend-not in the hope of max
ing it funnier. but simply to render it
more Ineligible.
His name was Nanni, (short for Giov-
anni) Rocco. It seems that in Italy,
where Nanni was born and grew up, he
had been kind of a Snowman. He used
to travel among the Appenine villages
with performing bear, which he had
taught to wrestle SO skillfully that the
huge animal, tightly muzzled and with
claws blunted, would throw" all corners
who ventured to measure their strength
with him. Then his master would try a
bout, and always come off victorious; but
this was due to secret understanding
with the bear, who, at given signal,
would fall to the ground and pretend to
be overcome. This was done 80 natur-
ally and SO regularly, that after while
Nanni came to believe himself really
more than match for the beast; and the
faithful creature never undeceived him.
The fame of Nanni and his wrestling
bear spread far and wide. One day an
agent came along and engaged him for a
foreign tour, to extend as far as America.
This began very successfully; and no
doubt Nanni would have made his for
tune in America, had not his indispensa-
BILE partner, the bear, sickened and died
shortly after their arrival in New York.
His master mourned him like a child.
Such another animal was not to be found
for love or money, and poor Nannis oc-
cupation was gone. Dishesrtened and
without resources, he finally engaged
himself with a number of his fellow
countrymen, to work on the railroads
This employment in the course of time,
brought him to the Catskill Mountains.
When the line of the Ulster and Della
ware Railroad was first surveyed, the re-
gion through which it passes had much
more the air of forest primeval than it
possessed to-day. The principal cold
settlers" then were the bears and pan
theirs and wildcats, with here and there
rattlesnake. There was good sport in
the mountains at that period.
One day good-sized bear, closely pur-
sued by two hunters came tearing through
the underbrusb, close by the place where
Nanni and his companions were at work.
1t was wild spot, overlooking that stu
pendous ravine where the snowy veil of
the Kaaterskill Falls hangs gracefully
down the black wall of wet rocks.
Head him off p cried the hunters.
But the italian laborers we're too fright
ened to dispute the passage of the pant
ing animal. The mere sight of them,
however, caused him to slacken his pace
and look about him, his red tongue hang
ing out of his open mouth, and his mis-
cQloVOub llttio oJo5 AoohAhS WIN logo
and defiance.
Before him were the Italians, behind
him the hunters. On one side vas the
precipice, and opposite stood Nanni-
and he was not the man to run away.
II he trembled, it was from excitement
and emotion-not from fear. The sight
of the free, full grown bear at bay, and
rearing threateningly upon his hind legs;
caused food of recollectioDs to rush
through Nanni's mind. Inspired by the
thought of his triumphant wrestling days,
he had but one idea, and that was to get
good "side hold" of the bear, throw him
on his back and capture him.
"Stop-sl stop-aP he screamed, motion
ing back to the hunters, who had raised
their guns to fire. "I'll catch-s-him for
your
To the speechless amazement of his
Omrades, he rushed forward and Crap
pied with the inturiated bear, throwing